Kristen Altieri remembers what it was like in the fall of 2004 when her Endicott women’s volleyball team made program history by winning their first ever conference championship.

“It was by far a moment I will never forget,” says Kristen, reflecting on her senior season playing for the Gulls who set a program record with 29 wins that year and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. “I was captain of the team for three straight years and it was great being involved in something so special.”    

Now Kristen DeCarli after marrying her husband Tim in June of 2010, Kristen looks back on her four years at Endicott as “some of the best years of my life.” Through her dedication to academics, her involvement in athletics, and building a solid resume through internships, Kristen acknowledges that she was able to grow both personally and professionally to achieve success in her post-Endicott ventures. 

Since her graduation from Endicott in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management, Kristen has excelled in her career in collegiate athletics. She spent time as an Athletic Communications Assistant at both the University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University before her most recent assignment as the Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director for Division III member Albertus Magnus College out of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. She will also serve as Senior Woman Administrator for the Falcons. 

During her stint at Southern Connecticut State, Kristen witnessed the Owls women’s basketball team win the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship and while at UConn, she was able to travel around to country as the Huskies women’s basketball squad went to four straight NCAA Division I Final Fours and won two national titles in 2009 and 2010.

Kristen’s four years at Endicott as a student-athlete helped prepare her for the road that lay ahead. 

“My experience at Endicott gave me a solid foundation for when I started my career in collegiate athletics. Not only did my course work and classes help me prepare for life after college, but the guidance and leadership from my coaches and professors led me to where I am today.”

Internships at Hamden High School, Quinnipiac University and the Landmark School were also essential in guiding Kristen in achieving a career, and not just a job.

“I was able to work at different levels of athletics and it really helped me figure out where I wanted to be after I graduated. I met so many people during the process which also helped with networking and meeting future employers.”

Nearly seven years after hoisting the conference championship trophy as a captain for the 2004 Endicott women’s volleyball team, Kristen still competes whenever she can either with friends or in local town leagues. She has even coached and officiated high school volleyball sporadically since graduation. 

Kristen has maintained her relationship with the Endicott community through her former coach, Tim Byram, who is set to begin his 12^th season at the helm of the Gulls women’s volleyball program this fall. She also stays in touch with her former classmates at the variety of Endicott Alumni events and get-togethers held along the East Coast.